Problem Summary The problem experienced by this organization is that several schools within this school system have not made adequate yearly progress (AYP). The reason why these schools have not made AYP is because of the students' test scores, attendance or not meeting goals in specific sub groups. There are currently seventeen schools that have not made AYP and five of those schools are on the needs improvement list. Background of Organization The year in which this organization was founded was 1866. It is located in Savannah, Ga on 208 Bull Street. The organizations clientele is Dr. Lockamy, Superintendent. The District operates a system of schools primarily for grades kindergarten through twelve, serving 35,246 students. Some information that may be helpful for me to plan an appropriate intervention is test scores, demographics, attendance reports, school reports and other additional resources. The URL for this website is www.sccpss.com. The annual reports for this organization can be found in the board docs section on the website. Stakeholders and Decision-Makers The people that will be affected by my plan are the students and educators of the Chatham County Board of Education. The people in the organization who make the decisions to implement the plan once it is developed are the board officials. The key personnel in the organization that can provide me with insights into the performance problem for which I will propose an intervention are principals, counselors and graduation coaches of the schools who have not made AYP.
Dr. Thomas Lockamy - Superintendent
Dr. Joe Buck - School Board President
Sharon Sand - Chief Academic Office
School improvement specialist, Principals, teachers, parents & students
Performance Gap: Cause Analysis What is the gap between where the organization currently is and where they want to be regarding the problem stated? States as the following: Actual Current Performance. Several schools are performing under state level and have not made adequate yearly progress for 1 or more years. Desired Performance If this problem was to be resolved, the schools that are on the needs improvement list would be making advancements towards adequate yearly progress. Performance Gap. The difference between actual and desired performance are the students test scores at all need improvement schools. Cause Analysis.This problem of students scoring below desired levels has been an ongoing problem for many years. Although there are multiple reasons why this is a problem, I think the main reason for this is because of the students’ background and upbringing. This is an ever-lasting problem and the existence of this gap is because there has not been a straightforward solution. When you have students that come from different backgrounds, then I believe this is where the gap begins. Students who come from poverty and low income areas tend to have lower test scores. If I were to interview key personnel, they would probably say that teachers in the school system are to blame for this performance gap. Organizational History and Background Goals. The organizational goals are to continue to improve work and study habits for all students, to improve academic achievement and to engage parents and other community stakeholders. These goals will help students to better prepare for state test which in hand will help to close the performance gap. History. This organization has a history of working together with the community so that all students learn. This district is constantly finding ways to improve student learning and test scores across the board. Mission and Vision. The mission of this organization is to ignite a passion for learning and teaching at high levels. The vision of the organization: From school to the: all students prepared for productive futures. Three Intervention Strategies The three intervention strategies that I chose will work in three intervention tiers. These interventions will work together to close the performance gap. The low end intervention is foundation instruction. The middle end intervention will consist of differentiated instruction and high end intervention will involve individualized instruction. Low end intervention. Foundation instruction will consists of teachers taking struggling students back to the foundation of learning. For example, students who are not reading on grade level, teachers will have these students to go back to word pronunciation and sight words. Instead of having these students to constantly review what they do not know, teachers will intervene my by starting back at their foundation so that they can pick up what they did not learn. Middle end intervention. Students who continue to show no progress from the low end intervention, they will enter into differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction will be able to key in on how each student is most effective with their learning. The teacher will alter their instruction so that the struggling students are fully engaged. High end intervention. Students who continue to show no progress in the middle end intervention, they will move into the third tier which is individualized instruction. Students in this tier will be pulled out from their regular curriculum teacher and have their instruction delivered individually. This will take place in an isolated location away from a class or group of students. This tier only allows 1 to 2 students per instructor. This intervention has all three interventions combined. Justification for Intervention Strategy The intervention strategy that I will propose to my organization is the high end intervention. The strength of the low end intervention, which consists of the foundation instruction, is the fact that students can go back to prior lessons and see what information they missed as a result of their low scores. One limitation of this intervention is that they will not be able to keep up with current lessons and instruction. The middle intervention, which is differentiated instruction which serves students based on their best style of learning. A limitation with differentiated instruction is that teachers may not have the time to find enough resources to compensate for each learning style. Individualized instruction in the high end intervention will allow for struggling students to work one-on-one with their own personalized instructor that will differentiate their instruction as well as go back to their foundation so that they can get a full understanding of their lessons. The intervention strategy that I selected is more likely to resolve the problem because it combines all three tiers together. Angus Llyod (2004) explains that with direct teaching, the teacher can accurately monitor how well the child is mastering the lessons, and can adapt the pace and targeting of skills accordingly. Differentiated instruction in combination with individualized instruction can only strengthen a student’s learning ability. “Differentiated instruction focuses on the academic needs and learning abilities of every individual student” (Stewart, 2011).The Manager’s Many Roles Project management techniques: My role as a project manager is to collect the data on which students are scoring below state level and assign them to the intervention strategies accordingly. I will also assign highly qualified staff members that will serve the students who have been identified as struggling. Resource management techniques: Some resources that will be used are computer programs that specialize in enrichment. Teachers will use text books and work books that will best suite each individual case. All resources will be examined and approved so that it aligns with each student. Delivery system management techniques: This intervention strategy will allow for each student to be pulled out of their normal classroom setting and will be isolated with an instructor for intense enrichment in those areas in which they are performing below level. This intervention will continue until the student has shown improvement and eventually performing at state level. Information management techniques: All instructors that will serve students under this intervention will log each student on their progress throughout this program. The instructor must log the timeframe in which they have served the student along with which resources they have used. Students within this intervention program will be evaluated weekly through a specific evaluation tool The Manager as Change Agent “The main job of the Change Agent is to offer a perspective to other individuals or groups don't bring to the table” (Stream, 2012). The manager of any organization should be able to recognize when change is needed. It’s the manager’s duty to identify a problem, analyze it, and the design a solution that may bring about the best solution. Reece (2012) also explains that managers help to manage the change and ensure good communication throughout the process. An effective manager will bring about change that is positive for the organization and understand that change is a process that doesn’t happen overnight. Financial and Budget Information. The tentative budget for this intervention strategy is $40,000.00. This budget includes laptops for each student identified for this intervention program. The laptops can be purchase on http://www.act4networks.com/COW-Intro.htm. Training for teachers who will serve students in this program is also part of this budget. Training costs can be found at http://www.studyisland.com/PriceList.cfm?myState=GA#training. Tentative budget for your intervention strategy, along with supporting documentation; consider technology purchases, personnel training, additional support, and other considerations specific to your proposal. Other resources and miscellaneous items will also be included in the budget. Project Assessment. The objectives for this program will be evaluated through formative and summative evaluations. The formative evaluations that will be used with this intervention will be a universal weekly log that monitors the students’ progress over time. The summative evaluation will be to the instructors’ discretion. Instructors can use test, quizzes, rubrics etc. to evaluate students progress.
References Angus Llyod. (2004). Teaching Services: One-on-one teaching. Retrieved from http://www.anguslloyd.com/teachingservices.html. Stewart, D. (2011). What Are the Challenges & Benefits of Differentiated Instruction? Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8675644_challenges-benefits-differentiated-instruction.html. Reece, D. (2012). What is a Change Agent? A Change Agent can Help with Change Efforts. Retrieved from http://thethrivingsmallbusiness.com/articles/what-is-a-change-agent-a-change-agent-can-help-with-change-efforts/ Appendices NOTE that you may not need all of the Appendices listed below. Select the ones that are relevant to your project and include that data to support your work. Letter your appendices in the order they are referenced in your document. Each Appendix will begin on a new page. All of you will include Appendices A through E. Select the other topics and include them as relevant. You will letter the Appendices in the order you mention them in your paper, once you decide which ones you will use.
Olufemi's Performance Improvement Intervention Project
Name of organization: Chatham County Schools
Problem Summary
The problem experienced by this organization is that several schools within this school system have not made adequate yearly progress (AYP). The reason why these schools have not made AYP is because of the students' test scores, attendance or not meeting goals in specific sub groups. There are currently seventeen schools that have not made AYP and five of those schools are on the needs improvement list.
Background of Organization
The year in which this organization was founded was 1866. It is located in Savannah, Ga on 208 Bull Street. The organizations clientele is Dr. Lockamy, Superintendent. The District operates a system of schools primarily for grades kindergarten through twelve, serving 35,246 students. Some information that may be helpful for me to plan an appropriate intervention is test scores, demographics, attendance reports, school reports and other additional resources. The URL for this website is www.sccpss.com. The annual reports for this organization can be found in the board docs section on the website.
Stakeholders and Decision-Makers
The people that will be affected by my plan are the students and educators of the Chatham County Board of Education. The people in the organization who make the decisions to implement the plan once it is developed are the board officials. The key personnel in the organization that can provide me with insights into the performance problem for which I will propose an intervention are principals, counselors and graduation coaches of the schools who have not made AYP.
- Dr. Thomas Lockamy - Superintendent
- Dr. Joe Buck - School Board President
- Sharon Sand - Chief Academic Office
- School improvement specialist, Principals, teachers, parents & students
Performance Gap: Cause AnalysisWhat is the gap between where the organization currently is and where they want to be regarding the problem stated? States as the following:
Actual Current Performance. Several schools are performing under state level and have not made adequate yearly progress for 1 or more years.
Desired Performance If this problem was to be resolved, the schools that are on the needs improvement list would be making advancements towards adequate yearly progress.
Performance Gap. The difference between actual and desired performance are the students test scores at all need improvement schools.
Cause Analysis.This problem of students scoring below desired levels has been an ongoing problem for many years. Although there are multiple reasons why this is a problem, I think the main reason for this is because of the students’ background and upbringing. This is an ever-lasting problem and the existence of this gap is because there has not been a straightforward solution. When you have students that come from different backgrounds, then I believe this is where the gap begins. Students who come from poverty and low income areas tend to have lower test scores. If I were to interview key personnel, they would probably say that teachers in the school system are to blame for this performance gap.
Organizational History and Background
Goals. The organizational goals are to continue to improve work and study habits for all students, to improve academic achievement and to engage parents and other community stakeholders. These goals will help students to better prepare for state test which in hand will help to close the performance gap.
History. This organization has a history of working together with the community so that all students learn. This district is constantly finding ways to improve student learning and test scores across the board.
Mission and Vision. The mission of this organization is to ignite a passion for learning and teaching at high levels. The vision of the organization: From school to the: all students prepared for productive futures.
Three Intervention Strategies
The three intervention strategies that I chose will work in three intervention tiers. These interventions will work together to close the performance gap. The low end intervention is foundation instruction. The middle end intervention will consist of differentiated instruction and high end intervention will involve individualized instruction.
Low end intervention. Foundation instruction will consists of teachers taking struggling students back to the foundation of learning. For example, students who are not reading on grade level, teachers will have these students to go back to word pronunciation and sight words. Instead of having these students to constantly review what they do not know, teachers will intervene my by starting back at their foundation so that they can pick up what they did not learn.
Middle end intervention. Students who continue to show no progress from the low end intervention, they will enter into differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction will be able to key in on how each student is most effective with their learning. The teacher will alter their instruction so that the struggling students are fully engaged.
High end intervention. Students who continue to show no progress in the middle end intervention, they will move into the third tier which is individualized instruction. Students in this tier will be pulled out from their regular curriculum teacher and have their instruction delivered individually. This will take place in an isolated location away from a class or group of students. This tier only allows 1 to 2 students per instructor. This intervention has all three interventions combined.
Justification for Intervention Strategy
The intervention strategy that I will propose to my organization is the high end intervention. The strength of the low end intervention, which consists of the foundation instruction, is the fact that students can go back to prior lessons and see what information they missed as a result of their low scores. One limitation of this intervention is that they will not be able to keep up with current lessons and instruction. The middle intervention, which is differentiated instruction which serves students based on their best style of learning. A limitation with differentiated instruction is that teachers may not have the time to find enough resources to compensate for each learning style. Individualized instruction in the high end intervention will allow for struggling students to work one-on-one with their own personalized instructor that will differentiate their instruction as well as go back to their foundation so that they can get a full understanding of their lessons. The intervention strategy that I selected is more likely to resolve the problem because it combines all three tiers together. Angus Llyod (2004) explains that with direct teaching, the teacher can accurately monitor how well the child is mastering the lessons, and can adapt the pace and targeting of skills accordingly. Differentiated instruction in combination with individualized instruction can only strengthen a student’s learning ability. “Differentiated instruction focuses on the academic needs and learning abilities of every individual student” (Stewart, 2011).The Manager’s Many Roles
Project management techniques: My role as a project manager is to collect the data on which students are scoring below state level and assign them to the intervention strategies accordingly. I will also assign highly qualified staff members that will serve the students who have been identified as struggling.
Resource management techniques: Some resources that will be used are computer programs that specialize in enrichment. Teachers will use text books and work books that will best suite each individual case. All resources will be examined and approved so that it aligns with each student.
Delivery system management techniques: This intervention strategy will allow for each student to be pulled out of their normal classroom setting and will be isolated with an instructor for intense enrichment in those areas in which they are performing below level. This intervention will continue until the student has shown improvement and eventually performing at state level.
Information management techniques: All instructors that will serve students under this intervention will log each student on their progress throughout this program. The instructor must log the timeframe in which they have served the student along with which resources they have used. Students within this intervention program will be evaluated weekly through a specific evaluation tool
The Manager as Change Agent
“The main job of the Change Agent is to offer a perspective to other individuals or groups don't bring to the table” (Stream, 2012). The manager of any organization should be able to recognize when change is needed. It’s the manager’s duty to identify a problem, analyze it, and the design a solution that may bring about the best solution. Reece (2012) also explains that managers help to manage the change and ensure good communication throughout the process. An effective manager will bring about change that is positive for the organization and understand that change is a process that doesn’t happen overnight.
Financial and Budget Information. The tentative budget for this intervention strategy is $40,000.00. This budget includes laptops for each student identified for this intervention program. The laptops can be purchase on http://www.act4networks.com/COW-Intro.htm. Training for teachers who will serve students in this program is also part of this budget. Training costs can be found at http://www.studyisland.com/PriceList.cfm?myState=GA#training. Tentative budget for your intervention strategy, along with supporting documentation; consider technology purchases, personnel training, additional support, and other considerations specific to your proposal. Other resources and miscellaneous items will also be included in the budget.
Project Assessment. The objectives for this program will be evaluated through formative and summative evaluations.
The formative evaluations that will be used with this intervention will be a universal weekly log that monitors the students’ progress over time.
The summative evaluation will be to the instructors’ discretion. Instructors can use test, quizzes, rubrics etc. to evaluate students progress.
References
Angus Llyod. (2004). Teaching Services: One-on-one teaching. Retrieved from http://www.anguslloyd.com/teachingservices.html.
Stewart, D. (2011). What Are the Challenges & Benefits of Differentiated Instruction? Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8675644_challenges-benefits-differentiated-instruction.html.
Reece, D. (2012). What is a Change Agent? A Change Agent can Help with Change Efforts. Retrieved from http://thethrivingsmallbusiness.com/articles/what-is-a-change-agent-a-change-agent-can-help-with-change-efforts/
Appendices
NOTE that you may not need all of the Appendices listed below. Select the ones that are relevant to your project and include that data to support your work. Letter your appendices in the order they are referenced in your document. Each Appendix will begin on a new page. All of you will include Appendices A through E. Select the other topics and include them as relevant. You will letter the Appendices in the order you mention them in your paper, once you decide which ones you will use.
Appendix A: Formative Evaluation Instrument
Appendix B: Summative Evaluation Instrument
Appendix C: Interview Questions
Appendix D: Interview Transcripts or Summary
Appendix E. Budget